This year, Super Bowl XLVI is a showdown between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, and as you read in “Ritani Man” Eric’s post yesterday, it is sure to be quite the game! Luckily, wearing the colors of either team will not only show your support, it will also have you looking extremely patriotic at the same time. So, here are some style tips based on which Super Bowl spectator personality suits you.

“My heart is in this game.”

If you’re a die hard fan of either team, then wear that team gear with pride! Pair your favorite jersey with jeans or leggings and some high-cut boots. With this look, I would suggest more classic accessories like diamond studs and a simple bracelet.

“I am a __________fan for the day.”

If you’re not really a fan, but still want to show support for a team, this year’s Super Bowl makes that very easy. [HINT: For either team wear red, white, and blue.] If you want to get technical, the Patriots’ colors are Nautical Blue (Navy), New Century Silver, Red, and White and the Giants’ colors are Blue, Red, White, and Gray. So really the only way to distinguish between what team you are rooting for and the opponent is what shade of BLUE you’re wearing. (Keep that in mind if you’ll be in the company of serious fans.) In this case, my personal selection would be jeans, a white top, and high cut boots. As for accessories, I would go with a red scarf and maybe some fun jewelry!

“I’m watching for the halftime show and the commercials.”

If you could care less about the game and are just taking part in the celebration because everyone else is, then you most likely could care less if you’re wearing a certain team’s colors or not. (Don’t worry; the commercials are usually pretty epic and Madonna is the half-time entertainment.) In this situation, you can wear anything you want, but don’t get too crazy. After all, these festivities are centered around a sporting event, not an awards show. My pick would be an oversized sweater, leggings, and boots. For this look you can be a little more playful with your accessories.

No matter which category you classify yourself under, keep this information in mind when choosing your Super Bowl attire: BE COMFORTABLE! Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption—add in the alcoholic beverages and it’s safe to say that wearing clothes that leave you little to no wiggle room, probably isn’t the best idea.

Finally, the most important rule: HAVE FUN! We’ve all heard the expression “Sunday Funday,” well Super Bowl Sunday takes it to a whole new level so embrace that and look fabulous while you’re at it!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

Whether you’re ready or not, Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away.  Time to start getting ready.  First step, as previously noted, is to pick a team to root for.

Okay- so who’s playing?

It’s the New York Football Giants versus the New England Patriots in a winner-take-all battle that’s surprisingly filled to the brim with drama and history.

Great.  So how do I choose who to root for?

First step in choosing which team to cheer for is to pick which city you have more of an allegiance to.  These two cities have some of the most bitter and intense sports rivalries of all time, so make the choice: Boston or New York.

Forget geography- who’s the better team?

Actually, it’s really hard to say.  The Patriots are all about offense: they have, in Tom Brady (you know- he’s married to Giselle and wears Uggs), one of the league’s best quarterbacks and not only is he one the best quarterbacks currently playing, but he’s putting together a career that may go down in sports history as being the best of all time.  The Giants, on the other hand, have been mostly fueled by their defensive efforts: their defensive line (those REALLY HUGE guys who try to tackle the quarterback) has been playing on a brilliant level.  The Giants, with their great defense, in addition to the heroics of their quarterback, Eli Manning, have put together a great playoff run.  If you asked me to tell you who I think will win on Sunday, I’d go with the Giants, because I’m of the opinion that defense wins playoff games.  And I’m a New Yorker.  And I hate the Patriots.

So what’s all the drama you were talking about?

The Giants and the Patriots have met once before in the Superbowl; this occurred in February of 2008.  In the 2007-2008 football season, the Patriots were unstoppable.  That year, they won more games in a single season than any football team of all time: a total of 16 games!  This may not seem like much, but it’s a nearly impossible feat in the NFL, since injuries are so widespread and the game itself, on a week-to-week basis, is so generally unpredictable.  The Patriots’ first loss that season came in the form of one of the biggest Superbowl upsets of all time: Tom Brady and his mighty Patriots fell to the Giants in a stunning 4^th quarter  victory led by Eli Manning and his Giants.  This year’s Superbowl will be a rematch of that incredible game which Tom Brady still cites as one of the hardest losses of his career.

Eli Manning, on the other hand, still has a lot to prove.  After winning a Superbowl in the most dramatic fashion, he is still a very underrated quarterback in today’s NFL.  This is mostly due to the fact that his brother, Peyton Manning – quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts – is among the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, so you can say that Eli has been living in his brother’s shadow for quite some time.

Add this background info to the New York/Boston sports rivalry which has been building for almost a century, and you have a huge amount of hype and drama for what promises to be a great football game.

Any predictions?

Yes- I predict the Giants beating the Patriots by one score- either 3 or 7 points.  I expect this game to be hard-hitting, high-scoring, and tons of fun to watch.  Enjoy the game, everyone!

Any tips for proper football etiquette for when I’m watching with the guys?

Just have fun and don’t be afraid to get swept up in the excitement!  And if you’re confused (and trust me, you will be confused- football is a very complex sport), don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Just let go and be one of the guys.  I guarantee you’ll have a great time!

Engagement is typically a very short and unique time in the overall scheme of a person’s life. There is much to be done, but here are a few ways to remember what’s important and make the most of this time.

-Spend time with your fiancé! Go on dates, check out wedding venues, or just watch a movie at home. This is the perfect time to reminisce and reflect on how you got to this place in your relationship and to enjoy each other’s company.

-Take some time to de-stress! Set aside AT LEAST one day a week to be completely free of wedding planning. This means no decision making, no calls, and even no Pinterest browsing that pertains to the wedding. This will allow you to avoid becoming consumed with wedding plans and burning yourself out.

-Take a “me” day from time to time. Celebrate yourself! You have become such an extraordinary person that someone else wants to share their life with you. Take this time to celebrate your personal accomplishments and the life that you have made for yourself. Then, envision more accomplishments and goals to look forward to in your married life.

Although it may seem hard at times, you must “take time to smell the roses.” When all is said and done, a wedding is an occasion to celebrate your love. If you never lose sight of that, it will make the experience that much more rewarding!

What are your favorite tips on how to enjoy your engagement? Share them with us in the comments below!

You’re going to be nervous, and it’s going to be emotional: these things are fine as long as you’re prepared.  In sports, they always say that the best offense is a great defense, and you can apply this to your proposal.  Defend yourself against any emotional stress with preparedness, hard work, and effort, and everything will be fine.  A proposal should never be rushed, and never – ever – do it at halftime at a ball game.  It’s just not a nice thing to put a girl on the spot like that in front of a huge crowd.

The following is a really great example of how a guy can use his creativity and his talents to propose to his girlfriend in a very special way.  In this example, a guy named Jim proposed with a website filled with romantic memories and inside jokes, telling the story of his relationship and popping the question in a memorable, creative way.  Jim did the right thing: he spent a great deal of time and put an obvious amount of effort in his proposal.  Check out the website in the following link to see what it looks like when a guy does the right thing: http://juliewillyoumarry.me/

Take a few cues from Jim, and do the right thing.  Do you have any examples of other guys doing the right thing when proposing?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Single Bridezilla: a woman who plans every detail of her big day before she’s even engaged.

As seen in a recent Good Morning America segment, these groom-less gals have chosen everything from their bridal gowns to their honeymoon destinations. While being so well prepared may make an often times stressful process a bit easier, getting too ahead of yourself may make the process that much harder in the long run. Keep in mind: change is a constant theme of life; something you once loved for your wedding could have you saying, “What was I thinking?!” when it’s actually time for you to tie the knot.

So, is this whole concept just another fad? Probably not. With online inspiration boards such as Pinterest becoming a virtual hub for wedding planning, it looks like the ”single bridezilla” is here to stay. For the women out there who find this sounding all too familiar, let’s hope a beautiful Ritani engagement ring will be the catalyst to set all of your wedding plans into motion!

Do you know any “single bridezillas”? Share your stories with us in the comments below!

From friend requests, to writing on walls, to changing your status to “in a relationship” and then “engaged” “married”, etc.  These are brand new dating conventions of the modern age and are now just as important as the ones listed above.  Social media has added a whole new complexion to dating, and how you deal with these new milestones can make or break a relationship.

The best way to handle these – either a kiss or a poke – is to play it cool.  Don’t rush things!  You’ll find that good things happen when you take a back-seat and just enjoy the ride.  For example, you’d never want to rush that first kiss, for fear of being denied and just making things awkward.  And you wouldn’t tell a girl that you love her after just a few dates (trust me, it’s never a good idea).  So, in light of this, you should apply the same rules of your practical life to your online life.  Don’t ever rush a relationship request — this can scare your potential girlfriend away before you even realize what happened.  Have a discussion first, and make sure you both are ready to announce to your respective social networks that you’re in a relationship with one another.  Also, refrain from “stalking” at all costs.  Allow your special lady to have her own online life!

So, guys, remember follows the “rules of engagement” – and – when you’re ready to change that relationship status from “in a relationship” to “engaged,” make sure you check out Ritani and our beautiful collections of diamond engagement rings to pop the question!

Do you have any other tips for building a healthy online relationship?  Let us know in the comments below!

The Bouquet

The bouquet is above all, a symbol of happiness. Originally, bridal bouquets were made of herbs, each with different meanings. The bride would carry sage-for wisdom, dill-for lust, and even garlic (yes, GARLIC!) to ward off evil spirits. Today, flowers take on their own meanings. Lilies, for example, stand for purity and orange blossoms stand for both happiness and fidelity. Now, when searching for that perfect bouquet, you can put even more meaning behind it than just a color scheme!

The Ring Finger

Have you ever wondered how the ring finger was chosen? Well, this answer is both short and sweet! Most people wear engagement and wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once believed (by the Ancient Romans) that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.

The Kiss

The kiss, which typically symbolizes the end of a wedding ceremony, is a practice with very significant meaning. In ancient times, the kiss was legally binding and signified mutual acceptance of the contract of marriage. It is said that the bride and the groom “exchanged a bit of their souls” with the breath of a kiss!

The Honeymoon

The practice of a honey moon began ages ago. After the wedding, the bride and groom would drink honey wine for one full moon cycle (30 days). This “moon” (i.e., “month”) became known as the “honey moon.” Even though the name has survived, the concept has certainly changed quite a bit!

The Cake

Today’s tiered wedding cakes were once more than just extravagant confectionary masterpieces for guests to marvel at. They posed somewhat of a game or challenge to the newlywed couple. Spiced cakes were stacked in a towering pile, as high as possible and if the bride and groom were able to kiss over the tall stack, it indicated a lifetime of prosperity. Needless to say, not many of today’s couples attempt this daring feat.

Learning the origins behind wedding traditions can bring even more meaning to your special day! Do you have a favorite wedding tradition? Be sure to share it with us in the comments below on our Facebook page!

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Hopefully the third time is the charm for Halle Berry!  Berry, who has been dating actor, Olivier Martinez for the past year, became engaged over the holidays.  The Taking Lives actor presented Berry with a Gurhan engagement ring.  The “one-of-a-kind” ring features both a diamond and emerald and was custom created for the couple.  The couple met while filming Dark Tide and officially stepped out as a couple in 2010.  No word on when the couple will walk down the aisle.  This will be the third marriage for the X Men actress, who had previously exchanged wedding bands with former baseball player, David Justice and R&B singer, Eric Benet.  Wonder if Berry’s daughter, Nahla, will be the flower girl?!

Be sure to follow us!

http://www.youtube.com/ritaniring
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Be sure to follow us!

http://www.youtube.com/ritaniring
http://twitter.com/RitaniRocks
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ritani/35840450963?ref=ts